Earlier this year, when Judy Csillag, Director Community Outreach and
Partnerships for The Canadian Centre for Diversity asked me if I would
like to participate in a Women of Faith build for Habitat for Humanity, I
said yes with no idea of what this would entail. Little did I know that
this would turn out to be one of the most meaningful and unusual
experiences of my life.

Since I came to
Canada
twenty years ago, there has always been an urge to give back to this
wonderful country that is my adopted land and that has given me and my
family a roof over our heads, jobs, security and most of all freedom. I
realize that many people don't have these luxuries in their native lands
or take them for granted in
Canada
. So I volunteer wherever I can but the Habitat experience takes
volunteering to a whole new level. ...

Tonight(4th
November 2008) hope triumphed over fear, common good over
individualism, service and sacrifice over selfishness and greed. Tonight
the wall of hatred, hopelessness and despair that separates us from
the common good fell and bridges of love, compassion, cooperation,
justice and peace were built.

This
morning (5th November), as the sun rises, a new light of hope is shining
upon us all. The era of neo-liberalism, disaster capitalism,
adventurism, uncalled militarism, torture and pseudo-nationalism
is over. It is the dawn of Globalisation for the Common Good. Today
is a watershed in the US and world history.

Thank
you President Obama for who you are and what you do. Thank you to the
American people for electing President Obama to lead the way to a better
world. (...)